Improvement in harvesting-machines



W. S. STETSON AND R. F. MAYNARD, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTlNG-MAGHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 24,063, dated May 17, 1859.

'fo all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, W. S. STETSON and R. F. MAYNARD, of Baltimore, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain Iinlriroveinents in Harvesters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the principles vor characters which distinguish them from all other things before known, and ot' the usual manner of making, modifying, and using the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l is a perspective View of the machine; Fig. 2, a detached view of the connecting-rod; Fig. 3, a detached view of that end ot' the lever It which runs in the cam-groove and the friction-roller on the end of the lever; Fig. 4, a side elevation of one ofthe ngers or teeth; Fig. 5, a plan View, showing two teeth or lingers in one section or division; Fig. 6, a cross-section through the middle of oneof the lingers; Fig. 7, a side elevation of one of the fingers, with an obtuse angle at its base; Fig. 8, a top view of knives and ngers, showing by red and black lines the range of motion or length of stroke given to the knives, and Fig. 9 is a detached view in perspective, showing ythe connection of the lever for adjusting the finger-bar.

Our invention consists in certain improvements in harvesters, described and specihed as follows:

Upon the axle ci of the carriage-wheels is hung a saddle-frame, b, by the collars c c, in such manner as to vibrate about the axle. The lower end oi' this frame rests and runs upon the ground upon a rounded heel, e.

Z is the crown-gear which drives the pinion e, and upon the pinion-shaftj', which runs in the boxes g g in the saddle-frame, is a double spiral cam, h, the office of which is to give reciprocating motion to the knives i through the medium of the vibrating lever k and the connecting-rod m. The fulcrum a oflever k is in the center of the lever, thus giving to the knives the same length of stroke as the vibration of the cam, which obviates to a great extent thejarring and-rough working so common in the cam movements used in harvesters, wherev large cams are used on the driving- Wheels as the primary gear. y

The connecting-rod mis of a peculiar con- .and acts as brace to the hinge-joint p.

struction and specially adapted to convey motion from the camlever to the cutter-bar, and is l'ound preferable on some accounts to a single rod with balland-socket -or universal joints at its ends. 1t consists of two rods, a. ai", and four sockets, a3 a4 a5 a6, two in the end ofthe vibrating lever k and t-wo in the end of the cutter-bar 7c. These sorkets are to receive the balls or rounded heads on the ends ofthe rods a' a2. ward, as shown in Fig. 2, and the rod t2 is straight. When the balls on these rods are in theirl respective sockets, according to their po sition shown in Fig. 1, itlwill be seen that they act together as one rod, while there is suliicient freedom of motion in thejoints to accommodate the various motions of the cutterbar and finger-bar.

The finger-bara rests upon the ground, and has allthe necessary motionsofadjustment and accommodation to unevenness ot' the ground given to it bythe very simple and eiiicient connections with the saddle-frame shown in Fig. 1. It adapts itself to slopes of the ground by means ofthe hinge-joint p, and is adjustable as to height of cut by its motion about the axis of the shalt r. The shaft r turns in the collars sjust above the heel of frame I), and is prolonged so as to make the support or axis of the hinge-jointly. It is also prolonged beyond this joint into the brace-piece t, which lies in a slot or opening, a, in the finger-bar The linger-bara is ofa particular form. (Shown in in Fig. l.) The rear portion, c, rests lia-t upon Vthe ground, and the forward part, to, rises from the part e at an angle of lforty-five degrees, or

thereabout. The front `upper edge of w is shown asinclined in Fig. 1, so as to lit the right angle c4 at the base ofthe tooth; but forfacility of casting we prefer to make it perpendicular, as shown in Fig. 7, the mechanical effect ot'vbracing the tooth being the same in both cases, and this edge and the under surface ot' to are embraced by the base of therfingers '00, which are ofthe forms shown in Figs. 4 and 7. A large hearing-surface is thus gained, and when the lingers are bolted to the bar they are very firm, thel direction of the bolt being shown in Fig. 4.

Instead of constructing and attaching the fingers separately or in a whole set, we make The rod a has its ends bent in-k them in divisions or sections of two or more, Fig. 5, by which we combine a sufficient amount ot' iirmness with facility ot' attachment or removal in putting up the machine or in case ot' repairs, and also facility ot' casting the iingers. W'e make tno openings, wz, of the forni shown in section in Fig. 6, through the lower part of theA lingers, and the upper edges ot' these openings form shearing' or cutting edges.

We are awa-re that an opening` has hitherto been made through the finger; but by means of the two openings we gain two additional shearing-edges, the two middle ones on the upper edge ot'. division x3 being` the most eiiicient, in conjunction with the back-and-i'orth motion of the kniIe-edges, in cutting up or redncin,f T and clearing away gummi matter and the refuse stuit", which tends constantly to clog and impede the motion of the knives. The fingers are also lighter without losing any material portion of strength. We divide the iinger-guard nilo two portions, c2, and each of these portions is made concave on the under side, as shown in Fig. o', and they are inclined so as to bring their outer edges near to the knives, while their inner edges are elevated. This form and the inclination ot' the divisions ot the guardare attended with great advantages in respect to keeping the. knives clean and removing all obstructions to their motion, and at the same time the Weight is lessened without detraetingg` from their necessary strength.

Another important feature of our harvester,

in connection with the open tooth and its outting-edges, is making the stroke of the knife,- bar of such length that the knife-points e3 shall pass the distance from the outside edge of one tooth to the outside 4edge ot the adjacent tooth, as shown by the red lines in Fig'. 8, by which means the knile-edges cut over the edges of two teeth, and also pass over the middle cutting-edges, Which keeps the knives and teeth very clean ot' glunmy matter and obstructions and makes a very efficient cut. The adjustment of the linger-bar is effected by means of the lever u2, connected With the axis o", as shown in Fig. 9.

We claiml. The double hinge-joint at the end of the iinger-bar, consisting ot' the hinge p, shaft r, collar s, and brace t, arranged and operating in the manner described, for the purpose specified.

2. The compound connectingrod m, constructed and operated asset forth.

3. We do not claim attaching the fingers or teeth to an angle-iron bar, as that has been before done; but we do claimY so constructing,

or forming the upper part of the obtuse-angleiron tooth-bar and the base ot' the finger or tooth that said base shall bear upon two plane faces of the said angle-iron, in the manner and for the purposes set forth. p W. S. STETSON., lt. F. MAYNARD.

Witnesses: p

B0B SINCLAIR, J r., DANL. SCULLY. 

